The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, commonly known as the Felician Sisters, are Franciscan women following in the footsteps of their foundress, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska. She was a well-to-do young Polish woman who left her home and family to open a refuge for abandoned and neglected widows and children in 1854. Her charism was manifested through boundless love of God, compassionate service, total availability and concern for the salvation all people.

On November 21, 1855 the Felician Sisters were formally founded when Blessed Angela and other young women consecrated themselves to “the service of Mary according to the will of her son, Jesus Christ.” They had given up all in order to care for poor women and children. She and her first companions received the Franciscan habit in 1857, and within five years were caring not only for orphans, but were directing a home for elderly women, and had the care of a 40 bed hospital, in addition to their works of social service and religious instruction in 27 rural villages. They also rendered service as nurses during the Polish insurrection against Russian rule in 1863. At that time, Blessed Angela instructed the sisters, “Do not discriminate among the sick. Give aid to all without exception; your vocation obliges you not to exclude anyone, for everybody is your neighbor.”

In 1874, the sisters arrived in Polonia, Wisconsin at the invitation of Father Joseph Dabrowski to work among the Polish immigrants. By 1888 their ministry expanded to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in 1921 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Province was established with a motherhouse eventually located in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.

Over the years, Sisters from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Province, one of eight in North America, remained true to the Felician tradition of healthcare ministry by serving in hospitals in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico and Florida. Today, their enduring commitment to healthcare in Western Pennsylvania continues in two disparate facilities, McGuire Memorial and St. Anne Home.

In 1963, the Felician Sisters initiated a ministry to medically and physically fragile exceptional children in New Brighton, Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Over the years, the original facility has expanded services offered to a wide range of clients. Today, McGuire Memorial provides twenty-four hour nursing service and a full array of healthcare services to include physical therapy, speech, occupational therapy and respiratory therapies. Its programs include a 91 bed Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Challenged; the Employment Option Center, a day program for adults with mild to moderate disabilities and/or autism which provides vocational training, life skills, school-to-work transition programs, and paid employment opportunities; The School at McGuire, a licensed private school for children with multiple and/or profound disabilities, a pre-school and a program for autistic children; the Community Home Program which includes twelve private residences that provide a supportive living environment for individuals with mild to severe disabilities; and the Respite Program which provides professional, specialized care for individuals with significant physical and developmental disabilities for temporary, short-term or extended respite stays.

In 1964, Bishop William G. Connare requested that the Felician Sisters manage and staff a one hundred bed nursing home. St. Anne Home (http://www.stannehome.org) was the first and remains the only Catholic nursing home in the diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Since its opening, St. Anne Home has been the extended family for thousands of residents. Under the direction of the Sisters, the staff of St. Anne Home has always made it a priority to care for the mind, body, and soul of each resident. They also appreciate the role of family members, and provide them with support services they need to participate in the care of their loved ones.

After providing nursing care for over three decades and in response to the growing needs of older adults, St. Anne Home expanded its campus in 1998 to include an assisted living community--Villa Angela. Offering a wide variety of apartment styles and a residential environment, Villa Angela welcomes residents who need assisted living services. Villa Angela offers wellness services, including health assessments and monitoring, rehabilitation and exercise programs, medication management, and help with daily routines such as cooking, laundry, and cleaning. With the addition of Villa Angela, residents have a broad range of care and services available on one campus-- a campus with a distinguished history and ministry of caring for older adults.

With these two significant institutions, the Felician Sisters carry on the ministry of care of the sick in a new era, responding to the needs of the times just as their foundress, Blessed Mary Angela responded to the needs of her contemporary society. Following her example, they heed her words, “…in ministering to the sick, the Sisters can bring help not only for the body, but they can also influence the soul.”

For additional information on the Felician Sisters Our Lady of Sacred Heart Province, please visit their homepage by clicking here.